Finance FAQs

What is the city's fiscal year?
Johns Creek's fiscal year runs from October 1 through September 30.

What are franchise fees?
Franchise fees are charges to utility companies for the privilege of operating within municipal boundaries. They are a routine and common practice for municipalities across the state and the country. Examples are electricity, telephone, cable television, waste management and natural gas.

Franchise fees are implemented as part of a service agreement executed between a government and a utility company. These Service agreements outline the terms under which utility companies provide service to customers within a specific territory and local governments require them in order to ensure service to all customers in a geographic area.

Why are they charged?
A franchise fee generally is imposed in lieu of licenses or permits that would otherwise be required. These fees are intended to reimburse local governments for use of the public right-of-way and other public services. It typically is calculated on a percentage of the revenues derived from sales to customers in that territory.

Do franchise fees benefit the City?
Franchise fees provide revenue for the City. They also allow the City to influence how the utility company can use the right-of-way, i.e., tree cutting, movement of sidewalks and damage repair.

Is the City charging a franchise fee to the waste management companies servicing Johns Creek customers?
Not at this time. The City has only instituted franchise fees on those utility companies that utilize city maintained right-of-way to provide service to their customers within the city.

Who has responsibility for property valuation for property tax purposes?
The Fulton County Board of Assessors is responsible for valuing all real and personal property within Fulton County, including the City of Johns Creek.

They can be reached at 404-612-6440 or by mail at: Fulton County Board of Assessors, Suite 1047B, 141 Pryor Street, SW Atlanta, GA 30303.

What role does the City of Johns Creek have in property valuation?
The City of Johns Creek has no role in determining the valuations set on either real or personal property. All inquiries should be referred to the Fulton County Board of Assessors.